NAVIGADGET
Jul 28, 2010 gps backtracker, gps navigation, gps reviews, gps tracking
Sometime ago we mentioned a new GPS for back tracking – called GPS X-Guider. We decided to get this GPS back tracker for a thorough review and want to share our findings here.
The term GPS backtracker is quite new – usually referring to small handheld GPS devices dedicated to routing you back to a waypoint you’ve marked. This could simply be the spot you parked your car, your favorite camping site, or even the spot where your buried the body in the middle of desert. This is nothing an advanced GPS device can’t do but it’s nice to have a small easy to use GPS handheld for the job. You could even claim your smartphone can get the job done – but good luck with that battery life. Since acquiring GPS signal usually eats up a lot of power your Android/iPhone may be out of out juice within the first hour of your adventure. You might as well keep the last 5 minutes of your battery life to record a voice message for your loved ones.
But anyhow – back to GPS X-Guider. First thing you’ll notice with this GPS device is its simplicity. Simple menus, only two buttons, but still a lot of features.
Hardware
We’re not sure what kind of GPS receiver chip is in this GPS back tracker but we’re happy with it. Out of the box (cold start) it took less than a minute to get a satellite fix and after that it was literally seconds for GPS X-Guider to figure out where it is.
GPS X-Guider is super light. Without the two AAA batteries it pretty much weighs nothing – really good if you’re anal about how much weight you’re taking with you. The batteries actually add some needed weight – so it feels good to hold. Speaking of battery life; all we can say is that it is really decent. After 3 days of on and off review it still has one bar left but we’re never patient enough to actually run it out completely and give you a specific number. The manual claims 16 hours of straight use. And you can always carry spare batteries with you.
The screen is not very exciting but it gets the job done without wasting power. It is definitely sunlight readable and when it is dark out the neo blue backlight comes in handy and makes it a pleasure to use GPS X-Guider.
GPS X-Guider comes with a really durable silicon case that fits tightly and makes it IPX6 water resistant. Pressing the buttons with the case is still very easy; so no worries there. There’s also neck strap / lanyard in the case so it is ready to attach to your backpack or put around your neck. Read More..
Jul 27, 2010 aviation gps, garmin, gps navigation, iphone
Garmin’s subsidiary Digital Cyclone just upgraded their iPhone app to include fuel prices and approach charts.
The real time fuel price information can now be accessed from your iPhone. Of course this is not your regular wimpy unleaded 87 grade gas. Pilot My-Cast will display fuel prices for 100LL and jet fuel at your current airport and along your route.
The approach charts are from National Aeronautical Navigation Services Charts (AeroNav Services) and allow pilots to find AeroNav Services Departure Procedures (DP), Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs), approach charts, and airport diagrams.
The app is for US and Canada and costs $10/mo or $100/yr. Other features of Pilot My-Cast include the ability to overlay weather information on your route, plan a flight, and more.
Jul 27, 2010 aviation gps, garmin, gpsmap
Garmin just announced new chart capabilities for the GPSMAP 695 and GPSMAP 696. Soon you will be able to refer to georeferenced Garmin FliteCharts. With its 7″ portrait style screen pilots will be able to view the entire approach plate, and see their plane’s exact position while monitoring other tidbits of information on approach charts.
With Garmin GPSMAP 695 and 696 if the current approach is known, it will automatically select the correct chart based on the flight plan.
You will have to wait until 4th quarter of 2010 to get your hands on the new georeferenced version of Garmin FliteCharts. It will cost one-time fee of $500 and can be enabled at fly.garmin.com.
Jul 26, 2010 asus, garmin, gps navigation, gps phones
Aussie’s can now find their way on their giant island thanks to Garmin. Garmin just officially announced Garmin-Asus A50 for Australia; partnering with Optus. A50 was already out in other places for a while now including USA, Taiwan, etc.
Feature set of Garmin-Asus A50 haven’t changed much. It still likes to geotag anything and everything, offers 3.5″ touch screen, 3MP auto focus camera, 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, and a 1150mAh battery.
A50 is quite competitively priced in Australia. It costs $0 after a 2 year contract starting today and online starting August 2.
Jul 26, 2010 gps navigation
Rear view mirror GPS navigation systems have been on our radar for a long time now. We just came across this on Amazon
the other day. For a whopping $800 Escort 84 Smart Mirror GPS Navigator can be yours. But hey! You get free two-day shipping! Some of the features of this Escort brand GPS navigation system include hands-free bluetooth connectivity and integrated speakers, 4-inch touch screen LCD with 16:9 ratio; 16 channel GPS receiver, and a SD memory card slot for your media files such as other maps, photos, and music; all fitted in your mirror.
Jul 25, 2010 gps giveaway, gps navigation, sports gps
Before we forget; today (and tomorrow) is the last day you can participate in our Mainnav MG-600 giveaway. It is really easy to try your chances; just go here and leave a comment. Looking at the numbers your chance of winning is pretty high actually. If you’ve been following our RSS feed you’ll win something sooner or later; we do a lot of GPS giveaways.
Anyways, this week’s giveaway is the Mainnav MG-600 GPS data logger / workout partner. This can come in really handy if you’re an avid cycler. It keeps track of your avg. speed, log where you’ve been, import your tracks to your PC, motivate you to go faster, etc, etc. It even has a light sensor which makes it really easy to use at nights.
Jul 23, 2010 aviation gps, google, gps navigation
Google just announced that they updated the Google Maps data shown on touchscreens of every airplane seat. This is part of their continued partnership as Virgin America is a ‘high-tech’ airline offering in flight WiFi. The newly improved Google Maps for Virgin America – just like every other map in the sky – shows you where you are. But with Google you can zoom and pan to explore. The newly added features now include terrain view and fresh Google data so the maps are not only prettier, but also highlight mountains, elevation and other natural features.
As Google describes it in their blog:
…it more closely matches what you’d actually see if you had cloud-penetrating eyesight and looked out the window from 35,000 feet.
Read More..
Jul 21, 2010 gps navigation, gps phones, nokia, ovi maps
Nokia just recently announced their latest Symbian handset called Nokia C6. This is S60 5th edition and includes customizable home screen similar to N97. Obviously this is a GPS enabled device and the GPS related features include Ovi Maps with free lifetime navigation, integrated GPS, and A-GPS receivers, accelerometer for correct orientation of display, automatic geotagging of images, and even a Nokia Maps loader application for a PC.
Other then the GPS features Nokia C6 is still packed. You’ve got a 5MP camera, secondary camera for video calls, LED flash, a full keyboard, WiFi, and a 3.2″ touchscreen. The battery in there is a 1200mAh which should be decent, but if you leave the FM radio on you could easily drain the battery faster than you think.
Anyhow, it will cost £289 unlocked or £229 with a pay as you go plan. Check it out here.
Jul 19, 2010 GPS giveaways, gps navigation, gps tracking, mainnav, sports gps
Earlier this month we reviewed MainNav MG-600; a handheld GPS receiver mostly designed for cyclists. We said we would give it away once the review was done; so here you go – just leave a comment below for your chance.
At the end of the review we did like Mainnav MG-600. It is definitely well built and has the battery life to outlast your longest workout.
How to enter? Really easy. 1) Follow our RSS feed and then 2) leave a comment below. That is all. Do make sure you enter a valid email so we can contact you back.
We will ship this out to a U.S. address only. Sorry rest of the world. Also duplicate entries, emails, IP addresses will be disqualified.
Don’t think you’re going to win? Well don’t be so pessimistic – but in case you don’t Amazon has this Mainnav
for only $75.
Jul 15, 2010 explorist, geocaching, geotag, magellan, sports gps
Magellan just updated their eXplorist lineup with three new models. These are Magellan eXplorist 510, Magellan eXplorist 610, and Magellan eXplorist 710.
First off, all three new eXplorists come with a 3″ color touch screen, 3.2MP camera with auto focus, mic, speaker to mark waypoints not only with a dot on a map but also include a photo, some audio, or even some video. It’s like geotagging on steroids.
All of the devices come with preloaded maps which include road network for the U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australia, as well as water features, urban and rural land use, and a realistic shaded relief background. 510, 610, and 710 are all IPX7 waterproof, offer 16 hours of battery life, a digital almanac, and track summary and area calculation feature.
All of them are great for paperless geocaching. Check out the new models here.
As far as differences between these three models:
- Magellan eXplorist 510 ($350): base model
- Magellan eXplorist 610 ($450): add 3-axis electronic compass and a barometric altimeter
- Magellan eXplorist 710 ($550): add Summit Series topographic map and turn-by-turn maps
Read More..
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